Precious Time
by Princess Blade
Summary: My first Duo/Hilde story...I'll let you see what it's about! ^_^ Enjoy


Precious Time 

"Hilde! I need some help here!" A teenaged mechanic with a long   
braid yelled. His dirty face came from under the car he was working on,   
looking for his partner.   
"I've got my hands tied with this computer, Duo!" She responded,   
"Can it wait?"   
"No!"   
Hilde rolled her eyes and ran to Duo. "What's wrong?"   
"I can't find a wrench!" He said. Hilde sweatdropped, for the   
tool he needed was only a few inches from where he was.   
"Duo, try looking a bit harder near your wrist," She suggested,   
pointing where the wrench was.   
His eyes lit up, "Oh! There it is!"   
"Duo...what would I do without you?" Hilde sighed and proceeded   
to go back to her own work.   
"Wait!" He wailed.   
"Now what?!" Hilde asked, running back.   
Duo smiled from under the car, "Can you get it for me?"   
Hilde was on the brink of exploding, but released her anger with   
a tired sigh, "Duo, just get it yourself! Besides, I've ran out of   
ZIP disks for the work I need to do. So," She poked her head under the   
car, "make sure the house is still in one piece when I get back."   
He nodded, trying to keep his focus on his work, "Be careful,   
Hilde!" ("Really, Hilde, don't come back dismantled...")   
"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" She acknowledged, running to her car.   
("Even though he says it sarcastically, he really does care, doesn't   
he? But...he couldn't possibly...no, not Duo...") With that thought   
in mind, she took off to the nearest store.   
***   
Three hours passed, and Hilde was still not home. Duo made a   
delicious dinner that he hoped Hilde would enjoy, but he began   
worrying after he ended up eating it alone.   
("It shouldn't have taken her that long to buy a few   
back-up disks. She'd be home at least half an hour after she   
left...but something feels different about this situation...")   
After he dumped his dishes in the sink, Duo took Hilde's   
plate and covered it with another to keep it from getting cold   
as ice. Then, he plopped down on the couch and turned on the TV.   
"All right!" He exclaimed, glued to the sight before him,   
"They're ahead by fifteen!"   
His team playing in the playoff game was winning. Duo kept   
his focus for the rest of the second half, and his expression   
changed.   
"What?! How could they lose like that?! They didn't   
deserve it!" He screamed at the TV. Scampering to his feet from   
the couch, he imagined the look on Hilde's face if she saw him   
like that.   
("Hilde would've enjoyed this one; she would've won the bet   
and say, 'Cool it, Duo! I told ya they would lose!' She'd smile   
that smile of victory and push me around for the rest of the day.")   
He shook his head, ("Why is this happening? It's like I'm   
thinking she'd never come back...or...")   
Suddenly, the phone rang. Duo ran to it and quickly answered it,   
hoping Hilde was on the other line.   
"Hello?"   
"Duo, this is Relena."   
("She sounds worried...") "'Sup Relena?"   
"This is really hard for me to say, Duo, but..."   
"What's wrong?" His heart began beating at a unusually fast   
pace. "Relena?"   
"Look, Duo, Hilde's been in a really bad car accident."   
Duo cringed at the thought, "Car accident?"   
"She suffered from a concussion, a deep cut on her forehead and   
leg from flying glass, and three broken ribs. One of those ribs   
collapsed onto her left lung, which is the reason for the surgery."   
He was literally speechless. Duo held his breath, trying to   
process the information Relena fed to him.   
"Duo? Are you there? Duo!"   
"Relena, I'm going." With that, he hung up the phone and raced   
out the door.   
***   
Relena and Heero sat tensely in the hospital's waiting room.   
There was nothing they could do to make time pass at a faster rate.   
Apparently, the two contacted their other friends, and were soon   
joined by Catherine, Trowa, Quatre, Dorothy, Sally, and Wufei; everyone   
but Duo arrived.   
"How bad is it?" asked Trowa.   
Relena shook her head as Heero wrapped a comforting arm around   
her, "Very bad. They don't think she'll make it."   
"Duo's not going to be happy hearing that," remarked Quatre.   
"However," interjected Wufei, "that girl's got a fighting   
spirit, so, we shouldn't worry too much."   
"Still, this may come as a horrible thing to say at such a   
time, but," Catherine began, "this is reality. She may..."   
Trowa held her hand tightly, for she couldn't finish her   
sentence. Everyone looked down or at the slowly ticking clock.   
It wasn't long until a nurse came into the waiting room, ending   
their tormenting wait.   
"Are you all of Ms. Schbeiker's family?"   
Relena stood, "Is it okay for us to see her?"   
The nurse smiled, "She just got out of surgery, and-"   
"We won't be long," Quatre reassured as the group filed out   
of the room.   
They made their way down the hall, trying to find the ICU. Relena   
looked around, and gasped at the sight before her. Heero locked his   
arms around her, trying to ease her pain.   
"I-it was that bad?" Relena stammered, holding back tears.   
The rest looked in her direction. There was Hilde, clinging to   
life with an oxygen mask covering her nose. A slow bleeping noise from   
a machine would tell if she'd live or die. Her face was the same color   
as her white sheets. It was a sight that shattered her friend's hearts.   
Sally and Wufei cast their heads down, Dorothy stood there wide   
eyed as Quatre tried to comfort her, and Trowa held Catherine as   
she let silent tears fall from her eyes.   
"Duo would go insane if he saw her now," said Sally in   
a whispered hush.   
"That's because he is going to become insane," added   
Dorothy. "He'd be devastated."   
They couldn't move at first, for their emotions glued them   
to where they stood. Relena took in a deep breath, and proceeded   
to Hilde's bed.   
"Hey, Hilde," she gently said, holding her hand, "We're all here   
just for you. Don't give up the fight, otherwise, Duo's going to throw   
a fit at you." She wiped a tear from her face, and smiled, "If you're   
wondering about him, he's on his way."   
In the background, she heard her friends shuffling around.   
Relena looked back, and there he was. She saw his wide-eyed, fearful   
expression that melted her heart. However, she smiled and looked   
down at her sleeping friend.   
"Actually, Hilde, your prince in shining armor just walked in   
to save you." She laid Hilde's hand back on the bed, and turned to   
Duo.   
"Make sure she hears you, Duo." Relena suggested before leading   
the group away to give them some means of privacy.   
"She's going to be okay, right Relena?" Quatre asked with a   
glimmer of hope shining in his voice.   
"With Duo standing next to her," began Heero, "a miracle might   
happen."   
***   
It took Duo a while to figure out what he would say to the   
person lying before him. Finally, he grabbed a chair, sat down   
and took her hand in his.   
"Hi there," he said. "Some dramatic opening, huh?" Duo   
carefully took off strands of hair that swept across her face,   
"Tell me you're going to be okay, Hilde. Open your eyes and take   
me from this nightmare."   
He looked at the floor, trying to figure out what else to   
say.   
"I'm okay, Duo." Hilde whispered, smiling weakly.   
"Wow, it's amazing what the power of Duo Maxwell can do to   
you!" He joked, smiling.   
"How long have I been here?" She asked.   
Duo looked at his watch, "Just a few hours."   
"I see," Hilde said, turning her head down.   
"What's wrong?" He gently asked, stroking her cheek with his   
free hand. "You're going to be okay, don't worry about that.   
You have a strong will, Hilde. With that, there's no chance of you   
going away just yet."   
She broke a smile, "Thanks, Duo."   
"For what?"   
"Silly!" She loosened her grip with her hand and wrapped her   
arms around him. "You've been so nice, caring and fun to live with.   
I'm sorry to have made you worry a little."   
"Hey, I wasn't worried," He admitted, then scratching his head   
thoughtfully, "I think."   
"Aishiteru, Duo." She whispered.   
Duo looked into her eyes, "Aishiteru, Hilde." ("Great! Now you're   
mine...in that special loving way, of course.")   
They looked at each other for a few short seconds, then their   
lips met. It wasn't long, but short and sweet. Hilde broke it, for   
she had fallen asleep.   
"Sweet dreams, Hilde."   
****   
(A week later...) 

It was a beautiful spring day, and everyone got together after   
Hilde got out of the hospital.   
"How do you do it, Relena?" asked Duo with a stuffed mouth,   
"This food is delicious!"   
Relena smiled, "Just a secret recipe, that's all!"   
Dorothy and Heero leaned over to Relena and whispered, "It's   
restaurant take-out, isn't it?"   
"Yep." She said, sweatdropping. Then, she turned to Hilde, "Thank   
goodness you're finally out of that hospital, Hilde!"   
Quatre looked up from his plate, "Yeah, you had all of us on the   
edge that week."   
She smiled wearily, for she was still somewhat tired, "I didn't   
mean to go that far, but all of you kept me going."   
Duo wrapped an arm around her, "I was the one who really kept   
you going, right?"   
"Duo, don't even think about taking all the credit!" Hilde   
exclaimed, jumping up, taking her beret off and beating Duo with   
it.   
Everyone laughed heartily.   
"With energy like that..." started Wufei.   
"...It's amazing that Duo is still alive." finished Sally.   
Duo rubbed the bump on the back of his neck as the laughter   
died down, "What was that for, Hilde?!"   
She smiled slyly, and kissed him, "I had to do it! You don't   
mind, do you?"   
"Nope, not at all..." He answered, as the group looked on in   
pure astonishment. 

Mail me please!!! !_!   
ai_tenshi_yuri@excite.com   
rocket_girl_musashi@yahoo.com 


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